Kenneth L Weiss

• M.D.
• Professor at University of Miami

ABSIST, LLC licenses patents to Siemens Innovative imaging technologies including automated spine labeling and prescriptions licensed to advance personalized medicine. Jackson, Miss. December 1, 2014-Automated Brain Spine Iterative Scan Technologies (ABSIST, "to stand apart") LLC announced today a licensing agreement with Siemens Medical Solutions...

Image processing, creation and analysis techniques include using computer technology to identify a plurality of structures of interest in an image, such as spinal discs in a medical diagnostic image. Such techniques can also be used to improve image creation through the use of localizers which can help identify portions of an image, and the use of...

Jackson, MS. –August 12, 2014– ABSIST (Automated Brain Spine Iterative Scan Technologies, 'to stand apart'), LLC announced today the issuance of US Patent No. 8,805,042 for technology which improves diagnostic CT imaging by optimizing the tradeoff of spatial resolution and noise across different tissues to include bone, lung and soft tissue based o...

Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomotography (CT) or other diagnostic modalities may employ a three-step procedure during initial ("scout") cranial pre-scans that corrects for patient positioning (i.e. roll, yaw and pitch) to reduce inter-and intra-patient variation thereby enhancing the diagnostic and comparative value of subs...

Infarct volume and intracranial hemorrhage after reperfusion with nonionic low-osmolar and iso- osmolar iodinated IRCM has not been previously compared. We postulated that iso-osmolar and low-osmolar iodinated contrast media exert varied effects on cerebral infarct after intra-arterial injection. We compared infarct volume and hemorrhagic changes f...

Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomotography (CT) or other diagnostic modalities may employ a three-step procedure during initial ("scout") cranial pre-scans that corrects for patient positioning (i.e. roll, yaw and pitch) to reduce inter-and intra-patient variation thereby enhancing the diagnostic and comparative value of subs...

The title question is investigated by comparing results of a series of bone strength tests of lumbar vertebrae (L1 and L2) and right wrists (distal radii) of nine ca-davers. The paper describes the specimen prepara-tion, the testing, and the analysis procedures. The re-sults show that there is a correlation between the strengths of the lumbar and w...

Neuro-ophthalmic disease occurs in about a third of patients with neurosarcoidosis. Optic nerve involvement is the most common manifestation, but other cranial nerves and the optic chiasm can be involved. However, there are several other common diseases that cause optic neuropathy, including multiple sclerosis. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis can ofte...

Automated spine localizing, numbering and autoprescription system enhances correct location of diseased or injured tissue, even allow for multi-spectral diagnosis. Externally located tissue is facilitated by an integrated self adhesive spatial reference and skin marking system that is designed for a variety of modalities to include MRI, CT, SPECT,...

Conventional CT requires generation of separate images utilizing different convolution kernels to optimize lesion detection. Our goal was to develop and test a hybrid CT algorithm to simultaneously optimize bone and soft-tissue characterization, potentially halving the number of images that need to be stored, transmitted, and reviewed. CT images ge...

Objective: Vertebral column variation is a common, often overlooked finding on traditional spine MRI. Standard localizers do not image the entire neuroaxis, masking variation. The purpose of this study was to use a subminute automated spine survey iterative scan technique (ASSIST) to evaluate 207 patients undergoing thoracic spine MRI. Conclusion...

Background and Purpose: Conventional CT requires generation of separate images utilizing different convolution kernels to optimize lesion detection. Our goal was to develop and test a hybrid CT algorithm to simultaneously optimize bone and soft tissue characterization, potentially halving the number of images that need to be stored, transmitted, an...

PURPOSE: Operating at the wrong spinal level is a common cause of medical negligence and may result from imprecise numbering related to the high prevalence of congenital variations. To improve accuracy and standardize spine labeling, we tested a rapid total spine MRI localizer/numbering technique. Methods: Automated Spine Survey Iterative Scan Tech...

Spine MRI plays a very important role in diagnosing various spinal diseases. Computer processing of spine MR images will make the diagnosis more accurate, consistent, time efficient. However, manual tracking the spinal structure is tedious, so automated tracking and segmentation of the spine are highly sirable. In this paper, we propose a novel met...

We developed and tested an automated sub-minute 3D dual-echo MR imaging technique producing fat-water color-encoded labeled images of the entire spine. Twenty-one subjects were scanned with the 2-point Dixon technique utilizing 2 contiguous 21-22 second breath-hold sagittal acquisitions. Fourteen alternating subject scan sessions were achieved in 5...

Purpose: To develop and prospectively test an automated sub-minute 3-D dual-echo MRI technique to produce fat-water separated, color-encoded images of the entire spine with labeled vertebrae and discs. Material and Methods: The study protocol was HIPAA-compliant and institutional review board approved with informed consent. Twenty-one subjects (15...

Purpose: Design and test a multi-breath-hold MRI protocol to screen entire spine with less than two minutes total acquisition time and provide multi-parametric contrast. Methods: Eighteen ambulatory volunteers (11 males, 7 females, ages 21 -61, mean 40 +/-13) were consecutively imaged on 11/25/2008 at 3T, using an 8-channel spine-array coil and aut...

MR imaging automated spine survey iterative scan technique (ASSIST) provides an automated subminute, submillimeter, in-plane resolution survey of the entire spine in 2 contiguous sagittal fast gradient-echo breath-hold series with computer labeling of vertebrae and disks. The technique was prospectively tested in 13 school-aged children for a wide...

In this paper, we developed an automatic method to implement a new head CT clinical protocol that currently manually performed by neuroradiologists. The proposed method is composed of three steps. At first, automatically detect the mid-sagittal plane in three-dimensional head images. The algorithm computed similarity measures between the two sides...

Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomotography (CT) or other diagnostic modalities may employ a three-step procedure during initial ("scout") cranial pre-scans that corrects for patient positioning (i.e. roll, yaw and pitch) to reduce inter-and intra-patient variation thereby enhancing the diagnostic and comparative value of subs...

Although neurosarcoidosis seems to occur in only 5% to 10% of patients who have sarcoidosis, it may lead to significant complications. The diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis usually relies on indirect information from imaging and spinal fluid examination. Although MR imaging remains the most sensitive technique for detecting neurologic disease, other te...

Purpose: Recent breakthroughs in CT technology permit rapid generation of enormous multi-parametric data sets. Although containing a wealth of diagnostic information, dual energy volumetric CTs may overwhelm the neuroradiologist and make comparison with other imaging studies difficult. We developed a multi-step process to reduce unnecessary x-ray e...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Multi-parametric MRI of the entire spine is technologist-dependent, time consuming, and often limited by inhomogeneous fat suppression. We prospectively tested a recently developed technique(1) in breast cancer patients to provide rapid automated total spine MRI metastasis screening with improved tissue contrast through opti...

A comparative study to review eight different deformable contour methods (DCMs) of snakes and level set methods applied to the medical image segmentation is presented. These DCMs are now applied extensively in industrial and medical image applications. The segmentation task that is required for biomedical applications is usually not simple. Critica...

A comparative study to review eight different deformable contour methods (DCMs) of snakes and level set methods applied to the medical image segmentation is presented. These DCMs are now applied extensively in industrial and medical image applications. The segmentation task that is required for biomedical applications is usually not simple. Critica...

Background and Purpose Multi-parametric MRI of the entire spine is technologist-dependent, time consuming, and often limited by inhomogeneous fat suppression. We tested a technique to provide rapid automated total spine MRI screening with improved tissue contrast through optimized fat-water separation. Methods The entire spine was auto-imaged in t...

The study of the segmentation of MRI Spine Image is of crucial importance for computer aided medical image identifying and clinical studies of neurological pathology. Computer characterization of a vertebra or disk is of limited clinical value if that structure cannot be accurately segmented and identified. However, Manual operations of tracking th...

Selection of a CT convolution kernel determines the tradeoff between image sharpness and pixel noise.(1) High pass filter algorithms utilized in commercially available “sharp” convolution kernels preserve higher spatial frequencies at the expense of greater noise and typically work best for tissues with inherently high CT contrast. Conversely, low...

Tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) inhibition, used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is associated with central nervous system (CNS) events including new onset and/or exacerbations of pre-existing demyelinating neurological diseases. We describe a patient with refractory RA where adalimumab, a fully humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody aga...

Institutional review board approval, with waived consent, was obtained to develop a spine-labeling algorithm with retrospectively obtained deidentified HIPAA-compliant data. An automated magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique to rapidly survey the entire spine and provide definitive numbering of disks and vertebrae was compared with neuroradiolo...

Prefrontal white matter has been hypothesized to be integral to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. Recent morphometric studies however, have not observed changes in white matter in bipolar patients. We hypothesized that changes in prefrontal function in bipolar disorder, widely reported in the literature, may be related to a loss of white mat...

Head CT prescriptions are currently plagued by intra- and intersubject image variance and do not match standardized MR imaging planes. We developed and tested a simple method to improve CT precision and approximate the Talairach reference standard advocated for MR imaging. We retrospectively reviewed midline sagittal T2-weighted brain MR images of...

Orbital injuries are commonly seen in the emergency department, and if they are high-energy they can lead to concomitant intracranial injuries. Plain films, CT, MRI, and ultrasound are used in various combinations to evaluate the extent of these injuries. We describe a unique case of self-inflicted transorbital penetrating intracranial injury from...

Background and purpose: Variability in patient head positioning may yield substantial interstudy image variance in the clinical setting. We describe and test three-step technologist and computer-automated algorithms designed to image the brain in a standard reference system and reduce variance. Methods: Triple oblique axial images obtained paral...

Clinical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the brain is typically performed in the standard three orthogonal planes of the magnet, with little regard to head positioning. Multiple sequences with different imaging parameters are performed, and gray-scale images are obtained and displayed separately. The authors have implemented, and currently advoc...

The authors performed this study to compare a declarative memory paradigm developed to help teach medical students about the cranial nerves with a traditional text-based approach. The authors designed a clock-based paradigm to help medical students learn about the cranial nerves. To enhance memorization and related brain activation, the paradigm us...

The authors performed this study to assess brain activation during encoding and successful recall with a declarative memory paradigm that has previously been demonstrated to be effective for teaching students about the cranial nerves. Twenty-four students underwent functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging during encoding and recall of the name, n...

Cluster headache is a rare and severe pain syndrome with elusive pathophysiology. Serotonin pathways within the brainstem may be implicated in cluster headache with seasonal affective disorder and a subset of cranial nerve neuralgias. We describe and chronicle a syndrome consisting of cluster headache, seasonal affective disorder, with associated t...

We performed magnetic resonance spectroscopy in three pediatric patients (two boys and one girl, ages 11 to 17 years) with epilepsia partialis continua. Single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed on each patient. Data were acquired from voxels of 4 or 8 cm3 from the affected hemisphere and from contralateral homologous region...

Recent advances in MR imaging have significantly enhanced the diagnosis and management of epilepsy. This article focuses on the expanding role of functional MR imaging in our imaging armamentarium. Diffusion, perfusion, and BOLD functional MR imaging techniques are discussed in detail with emphasis on epilepsy applications. Functional MR imaging se...

Chronic administration of vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA) in dogs produces reversible microvacuolation (intramyelinic edema) in discrete brain regions. Histologic changes are most notable in the columns of the fornix and regions of the hypothalamus, thalamus, optic tract, and hippocampus. In an attempt to image these changes in vivo, we performed hig...

A patient with cauda equina syndrome from long-standing ankylosing spondylitis exhibited erosive cystic defects of the thecal sac on lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging. This report confirms the presence of nerve root clumping described previously, documents contrast enhancement of the leptomeninges for the first time, and suggests that arachnoi...

A young woman with a small pituitary tumor associated with hyperprolactinemia developed subacute intrapituitary hemorrhage during the third trimester of pregnancy and presented with central diabetes insipidus. Magnetic resonance imaging established the diagnosis. After transsphenoidal surgery, her visual findings resolved, and the patient had an un...

A low-signal band parallel and anterior to the posterior cruciate ligament has been noted on sagittal MR images of the knee in some patients with other evidence for medial meniscal tears. It was hypothesized that this low-signal band represented the mesially displaced fragment of a bucket-handle tear. To verify this, we retrospectively reviewed MR...

pyelogramshowednoabnormality,butspecimensobtainedbytrans-ureteralbrushingoftherenalpelvisinitiallywereinterpreted assuspiciousfortransitionalcellcarcinoma.Onreview,thisimpressionwasrevisedtodysplasiawithoutdefiniteevidenceoftumor.Cytologicexaminations ofsubsequent ureteralwashingsandvoidedurinesamplesshowednoabnormalcells.CTwithandwithoutIVcontrast...

Pilomotor epilepsy is a rare phenomenon. A 35-year-old man suffered a traumatic contusion of the right temporal lobe and subsequently developed spells characterized by diffuse piloerection and sweating. We believe this to be the first reported association between pilomotor epilepsy and posttraumatic head injury. Al-though pilomotor seizures may res...

Thirteen patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) were studied with electroencephalogram (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), evoked potentials and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. We attempted to correlate the findings with physical disability as defined by Kurtzke score and presence of dementia or seizures. More severe pla...

A novel computer-image processing method is described that combines and displays the data from two different MR sequences of the same anatomic slice in a single color image. The pixel intensities from one image are assigned varying spectral hues while the luminance of these hues is derived from the intensities of corresponding pixels of a second sp...

It is unclear whether sporadic reports of concurrent multiple sclerosis (MS) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) represent coincidence or whether these two demyelinating disorders are pathogenically related. We utilized the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting central nervous system (CNS) les...

Thirty-two patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis were evaluated with neuropsychological procedures and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Neuropsychological evaluation included assessment of language, memory, cognition, visuospatial skills, and depression. Significant impairment in any three areas, compatible with diagnosis of a demen...

Leigh's disease, or subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy (SNE), in adults is rare, and its diagnosis has depended on the postmortem identification of characteristic lesions in a typical distribution. We observed an autopsy-proved case of SNE in which the diagnosis was established by the distribution and evolution of lesions documented by serial...

The thoracic spinal cords of five mongrel dogs were imaged with a 1.5 T MR scanner before and after trauma induced by a well-established method of spinal cord impaction that produces central cord hemorrhagic necrosis. The anesthetized dogs were studied acutely with a 5-in. circular surface coil, 12-cm field of view, sagittal and axial partial-satur...

High-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images of the hands and wrists of six healthy volunteers were obtained at 1.5 T with a surface coil. Additionally, the hands and wrists of two fresh cadavers were imaged and were subsequently sectioned for anatomic correlation. High contrast when depicting soft-tissue, coupled with impressive spatial resoluti...

High-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images of the hands and wrists of 12 patients with a variety of suspected pathologic conditions were obtained at 1.5 T using a prototype surface coil. Lesions included ganglions, rheumatoid arthritis, carpal fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, and arteriovenous malformations. In the selected cases studied, MR...

Seven normal knees (in five volunteers) and seven injured knees (in seven patients) were examined by high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 1.5 T with a surface coil. Seven medial meniscal tears, three anterior cruciate ligament tears, one posterior cruciate ligament avulsion, an old osteochondral fracture, femoral condylar chondromalac...